"India is working hard to fight terrorism": Member of Sikh community

By Reena Bhardwaj

New York [US], June 21 : Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, a member of the Sikh community, on Tuesday, said that India is working hard to fight against terrorism.

"India is really working hard to fight terrorism. And we can see it back home and every place else. There are very few people who are kind to us," Dhaliwal said as he was heading to the 9/11 Memorial.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists al Qaeda hijacked four aeroplanes and carried out suicide attacks in the United States in which 2,977 people lost their lives.

Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in New York today on his first official State visit to the US.

Meanwhile, another Indian origin residing in the US, Vipin Dutta said, "I am from Jammu and Kashmir and have seen terrorism first hand. I've been living in the US for the last 25 years and we have seen what has happened to the Kashmiris and Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir. And terrorism and terrorists are always a bad thing all over the world."

"The US has seen it during 9/11. So we are trying to show our sport and solidarity with the world's biggest two democracies. We are basically coming together. If you look at the bigger picture, they are coming together to fight against racism all over the world. And India as well as America, as everybody knows, is spearheading it," he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi received a grand reception upon his arrival at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. PM Modi was received by India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu and India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj.

Risha Vijayappa, representing the interface community about Hindus, Sikhs and Jainism said that she is in support of 9/11 victims.

Another Indian origin said that India, Israel and the US now "recognize that the terrorism which was being perpetuated by the Pakistani terrorists at the border now they call that out before they were not ready to believe. So there's been a fundamental shift and Modiji has categorized stood with everybody."

He also pointed out PM Modi's statement this is not an era of war" and said which world leader has the courage to tell this to Russia's President Vladimir Putin. He also stated that with this statement, PM Modi sent a clear message, "There is just no room in the world for any acts of terrorism."

PM Modi is also going to address the joint sitting of the Congress, the first Indian PM to address the Congress twice. In 2016, PM Modi spoke about how India and US have overcome the hesitations of the past during his Congress address.

Ricky Kej, a renowned musician, described it as a remarkable fusion of two nationsone being the largest democracy on Earth and the other known as the oldest democracy.

Meanwhile, three-time Grammy award-winning musician Ricky Kej said, "I am in New York for Prime Minister Modi's visit. It is a beautiful amalgamation of two countries, one is the largest democracy on this earth and the other is said to be the oldest democracy on earth. We're going to the 9/11 Memorial because it's a heart-wrenching site and a constant reminder that terrorism in any form is absolutely not acceptable. We are here in full solidarity with the families of the victims to show that what happened to them was absolutely wrong and should not happen again."